Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, The One Minute Manager. William Morrow, 1982.
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LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is the first book in the One-Minute Manager series that is part of Blanchard’s model of Situational Leadership. This original volume has sold more than 13 million copies, been translated into 25 different languages, and continues to sell over 10,000 copies per month. Several volumes of the One-Minute Manager series are highlighted in the resource guide on Situational Leadership. The One-Minute Manager concept is the base of most of Blanchard’s works, all of which express Empowering Leadership model.
Each book in the One-Minute Manager series is conveyed in his signature format of a fictional story of leaders/managers in action. The main principle is that helping people feel good about themselves is the key to getting things done, and that with careful planning, it is possible to bring out the best in people without taking much time. It involves three “secrets.”
- The first is One Minute Goal Setting: help those you lead clearly identify the important goals to accomplish and then take a minute out of each day to assess performance.
- The second is One Minute Praises: tell them ahead of time you will let them know how they are doing, catch them doing something right, praise them immediately and specifically for what they did, tell them how good you feel about it, describe how it benefits everyone else, encourage them to do more of the same, and then shake hands or touch them in a way that they feel affirmed.
- The third is One Minute Reprimands: tell them ahead of time you will let them know how they are doing, reprimand them immediately and specifically, tell them how you feel about what they have done and how it affects others, shake hands or touch them in a way that they know you are honestly on their side, remind them you think well of them but not of their performance in that situation, and be over with the reprimand.
For a closer look at Blanchard’s theories behind empowerment, see Leading at a Higher Level. Also, Heart of a Leader is an excellent distillation of Blanchard’s philosophy into thirty-six principles. Three Keys to Empowerment presents a helpful plan for putting the empowerment philosophy into practice.
Please consult the following Ministry Resource Guides for help in navigating Blanchard’s many resources:
- Empowering Leadership – Includes several works by Blanchard, along with titles by Stephen Covey, Warren Bennis, James Kouzes and Barry Posner.
- Servant Leadership – Lists volumes by Blanchard and related works by Robert Greenleaf, James Hunter, Bill Hybels, and others.
- Situational Leadership – Describes the Situational Leadership model and lists relevant texts by Ken Blanchard and his associates.
From the Publisher
The blockbuster #1 national bestselling phenomenon is back… not that it ever really went away. An easily-read story which quickly demonstrates three very practical management techniques, it also includes information on several studies in medicine and in the behavioral sciences, which help readers understand why these apparently simple methods work so well with so many people. The book is brief, the language is simple, and best of all…it works.
About the Authors
Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D., is one of the most recognizable names in American business today. His One Minute Manager® Library has sold over nine million copies worldwide. He is also an award-winning speaker and business consultant.
Spencer Johnson, M.D., is the author of the runaway hit, Who Moved My Cheese?. Eleven million of his books are in print in 26 different languages.
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